Could have spent the day with you
by Rae1
Summary: Some language, mild sexual situations. 2x1/1x2. Heero needs a little help in understanding what love is to him. The others already know, except for Duo, who's been assigned to teach him.
1. Could have spent the day with you

Disclaimer: Don't own.

Author: Rae

Title: Could have spent the day with you

Warning: Sap and shounen-ai ahead. Beware the mushy stuff. 

AC 196

_I could have spent the day with you..._

Duo glared at his alarm clock, but crept from beneath the covers anyway. Only an insane, workaholic masochist would be up at four in the morning. And since Heero was awake, Duo figured that he might as well wake up, too.

He stumbled around in the dark, eyes closed. He stepped on something, and bit back his yelp of pain. If he made too much noise, he'd probably end up on the wrong side of Heero's gun. It had happened before, when the blue-eyed pilot had mistaken him for an intruder.

Still in the dark, he dressed. There was a reason that he wore black: it's hard to mismatch a uni-color outfit when dressing without benefit of light. Socks and shoes in hand, he moved into the darkened hallway. Heero had eyes like a cat, and rarely turned the lights on in the morning.

Duo traveled down the hall, and noticed that the light in the kitchen was on. He smiled. At least he'd be able to cook and eat without killing himself in the dark. He bounded into the kitchen, eyes sparkling as he grinned at the previously alone occupant. "Good morning!" He greeted the brunette cheerily, grinning wider when Heero's fingers paused briefly on the keys. The typing resumed almost instantly, but Duo didn't mind. Heero couldn't ignore him for long. "What are you up to?"

"Working." His voice was curt, dismissing. Violet eyes rested on the computer for a moment, dimming for an instant before he turned his attention to the stove. 

"What do you want for breakfast?" Duo waited with a smile.

"..."

He snickered. "I'll cook." He offered hopefully.

"I've eaten." Violet eyes blinked in surprise, and he laid down the spatula he had picked up. He slumped his shoulders. The silence thickened, stretched by the constant tapping of the laptop.

"It's too damn early for me, anyway." He left the room quickly, missing the eyes that narrowed at his back. The blue gaze rested on the computer screen when he was gone. In large, bold letters, the word 'coward' was entered repeatedly.

"I heard that you went to Relena's speech." Heero glanced up, and eyed Trowa coldly. "Was it interesting?"

"I stayed long enough to say that I'd been there."

"She still have a thing for you?" The green eyes were mildly curious.

"I'm starting to sympathize with Zechs."

"I doubt that he minds, but Relena isn't Noin. If she was, her presence may be appreciated."

"Hn."

Trowa smiled weakly, an obvious effort at amusement. "Maybe it wouldn't."

"Hn." Heero backspaced half a page, and began to retype what he had started before Duo had showed up. "What are you doing up so early?"

"I heard Duo mumbling, and thought that the house was under attack." A brief smiled appeared on Heero's face, before the mask settled back in place. "Do you know what the biggest difference is between you and I?"

"I assume that you're going to tell me?"

"I was born with nothing. Not a name, not words. So, most of it, I shove down to deal with later. You were born with the words, and given a name. I had to take the name I have now."

"Hn."

"I was raised without knowing how to express what I felt, but you were given the words to express emotions that you don't seem to feel."

Green eyes pierced into Heero, but he gave no indication of interest other than a raised eyebrow. There was silence, their breathing quiet in the stillness. Outside, the sky was dark, the sun not yet up. Wufei and Quatre were still deep in sleep, and Duo was probably halfway to slumber. Trowa eyed him a moment more, and then turned around and left him alone with his thoughts and silence.

Heero looked at the screen of the laptop, saved the file he was working on, and shut the computer down. "I feel, Barton. And what does it matter if I do? As if anyone is affected by my emotions?" He stood and left the laptop on the table as he shut the light off and left the room.

_Held you in my arms...      _

Duo sighed to the ceiling, arms crossed over his chest as he lay on the couch. Instead of returning to his room, and sleep, he had moved into the living room of the house that the five pilots shared. He had heard Trowa come down, but he hadn't risen to greet him.

A floorboard creaked, and he figured that the green-eyed teen was returning to bed. It was only four-thirty. With a grunt, he rolled onto his side, glaring at the silent television set and blank walls. "Should have known better."

"Duo." He moved to sit up, his eyes widening. Too late, he realized that he was sitting on his braid.

"Ow!" He rolled off the couch and crouched, rubbing the back of his head. "Heero?"

"What are you doing today?"

"Nothing much. Why?" He waited anxiously in the shadows, chewing his bottom lip hopefully. 

"Would you drive me someplace?" Duo sighed in disappointment, closing his eyes as he slouched forward.

"Of course. What time do you want to leave?"

"Now." He nodded, and stood up, brushing past Heero on his way back to the kitchen. His feet were still bare, and his shoes and socks were someplace in the now dark room. "If it's not too inconvenient."

"Of course not." He grinned for emphasis, refusing to meet that blue gaze with his own. He didn't really need to read the blank expression there. It was too bad, because he would have seen the uncertain apology in his eyes. "Where are we going?"

"East." Violet eyes rolled as he found what he was looking for and leaned against the counter to put his socks on. "I'll tell you more when we get going."

"Right." He slipped his shoes on and tied them, and then straightened up. Heero stood in the doorway, seeped in shadows. "Ready when you are."

"Do you want your jacket?"

"No. If you can wear spandex and a tank top, I can wear long sleeves and jeans. Don't worry about me."

"Hn." Duo grinned at him, tilting his head.

"Man, you need to learn a new word." He chuckled softly, grabbing the keys from a hook by the doorway, and walked past him. "We're off!"

The blue-eyed teen followed behind him, deep in thought. Duo opened the door to the garage, and stepped out, pressing a button by the door to activate the automatic garage-door opener. 

"I love this thing." They got into the truck, an older model that had seen better days. It was Duo's pride and joy, and his favorite thing to drive next to Quarto's sports car, and his gundam. The first he didn't have keys for (and he wouldn't hot-wire the Q-man's car, anyway), and the second had been self-destructed.

"It works better than this vehicle, most days."

Duo looked at him for a moment, brows drawn together. He shook it off, accepting at face value the small joke. "Man, don't dis on my car, or you won't get to ride in it anymore. As it is, you'd think that I was your chauffer."

"You're not?" Another pause, violet eyes even more confused.

"Who are you, and what have you done with Heero?"

"My name is Kylapso of the planet Zenzabar, and I've taken over this body for scientific research."

"Man, stop it now, or we're not going anywhere until you tell me what drugs you're on." He started the engine despite his threat, throwing a grin at his companion. Heero smiled back slightly, the expression looking foreign on his face. "You should smile more often, Heero."

The expression was gone in a blink, but they were already on their way, and Duo turned this attention to the road, waiting for directions. Inside, he was cheering, pleased at the small show of humor from the normally blank-faced Heero. He'd have to get up at four every morning if this was the result.

_I could have done a million things with you..._

They drove out of town, going east on the highway. The only sound in the vehicle was the sound of the tires on the pavement that floated through the floorboard. Duo tapped his fingers idly on the steering wheel, keeping beat to the nonsense rhythm in his head. Heero sat silent and still in his seat, his eyes staring intensely through the windshield.

"So? Where we going, man?" He waited for a few seconds, but the blue eyes hadn't so much as blinked. "Heero?" He waved a hand in front the other's face.

"Get your hand out of my face, or you will lose its use."

"Glad to see that you're back to your old self." Not. "Are you going to tell me where we're going in the dead of night, or am I supposed to keep going until we discover the edge of the earth."

"Hn." Duo sighed, thinking how wonderfully helpful his partner was being. "I want to go to a place where a quiet conversation can be held."

"Like, a shrink's office? Or some backwoods park where nobody ever goes?"

"Hn." Duo's grip on the steering wheel tightened. He gritted his teeth, forced himself to take deep, calming breaths. And then he smirked. After a few seconds, he started humming, tapping the steering wheel again. He missed having a radio in his truck. He could feel Heero look at him curiously, wondering why he wasn't taking the bait.

_Held you captive with my charms..._

"This is good enough. Take the exit and go left." Duo nodded, tapping both hands on the wheel as he looked over his shoulder and changed lanes. Heero had been silent for the better part of an hour, no great surprise. Except for the fact that he hadn't silenced Duo with a threat. Yet.

"So, where we going, man?" He was wiggling in his seat, dancing to the rhythm in his head. Both hands remained on the wheel, but only half of his attention was on the road. The rest was tuned into the music in his head and the boy beside him in the car. "Can I know yet?"

"If I told you, I'd have to kill you." Duo blinked as he brought the car to a standstill at a stop sign. He glanced over at Heero, noticing the rising sun behind his profile [1]. After a moment, blue eyes glanced up as the perfect soldier realized that they weren't moving. He raised an eyebrow.

"One of these days, Heero, you are going to laugh. I only hope I'm around to see it." The other turned away again, gesturing his hand in dismissal. 

"Left." Duo followed the order, shaking his head in disappointment. Maybe, he thought hopefully, maybe if they were alone, then Heero would let his guard down a little more. No distractions, no missions, no Preventor work. Just the two of them, alone in the woods. What fun!

They drove on the rural highway for a few minutes before Heero told him to turn right. They pulled onto a small lane. It took Duo several seconds before he realized that it was really a private drive. "What's back here?"

Heero ignored the question as they approached a small building. The door was a wooden screen, an 'OPEN' sign stuck to it. Duo stopped the car, and got out, frowning at Heero as the silent warrior got out of the car and made his way toward the door. Violet eyes closed briefly as he looked down and away. There were days that he could only hope for things to get better, times when it all seemed pointless, and the thought of giving up seemed plausible.

"Hell, no." He shut the door, pocketing the keys as he followed Heero into the building. Inside was a little shop, the walls lined with dry goods and snack food. In the back was a counter, behind which was another door. There was no one in sight. "Heero?" 

"He's out the back, dear." He glanced to his left, and stared in surprise at an old woman. She smiled at him, showing him a nearly toothless grin. "Your little friend is out back, all ready.  You can go on through, dear. It's all been taken care of. But give me the keys, love."

"Excuse me?"

"Your young friend told me to ask for the keys, and not to return them until you left together."

"Right. Thanks." Duo nodded, hiding his confusion as he handed her the keys and followed her wrinkled hand to the other door and through. Outside, he gasped, his eyes taking in the scene before him uncomprehendingly for a moment.

Heero eyed him coldly, holding out a mini-putt putter [2], daring him to comment. Behind him, an eighteen round mini-golf course was spread out, the green carpeting faded in places, some of the obstacles broken.

"Don't tell me that this is something from your childhood. I won't believe it." Violet eyes stared into blue, surprised, confused, and more than a little uneasy.

"I found an article in a newspaper about this place going bankrupt. Since the business here is so slow, it would give me...us an opportunity to play without an audience, or without having to worry about someone over-hearing."

"Right." Duo nodded in understanding, and then shook his head. "I don't get it, Heero. We can talk at the safe house. We could have talked in the car. There are a thousand other places that don't have to be here that we could have talked."

"This way, being out here...there is no escape, Duo. It's talk until we're done, or until one of us gets desperate enough to walk home." He tossed a black ball at the braided pilot, tilting his head when it was caught. "There are times that I don't want to listen to you, and I hide behind my computer. This is my way of saying that I'm listening."

He dropped his own ball, a white orb with a purple stripe, onto the starting mat of the first hole. "So, you're basically saying that this is my one chance here, huh?" Duo watched as the other lined up the shot, and then hit the little ball, sending it flying down the carpet. It bounced off the back board, bypassing the hole completely as it flew into the air and arced to the left. It landed on the ground ten feet away, nestled in the rocks that surrounded the course.

"Hn." Duo watched him for a moment, taking in the momentary flash of frustration and confusion as he reset the ball and hit it again. Two pairs of eyes watched as it smacked against the far board and sailed into the air to their right. "You go first."

Duo hid his smile as he stooped down to set his ball. He eyed the course for a moment, eyeing the little bumps in the carpet, and the angle of the boards that lined the sides. He stood up, took careful aim, and hit the ball. It began a roll to the left, bounced off the board, and then to the right...

"Nice shot." He smiled, registering the sarcasm in Heero's voice. His violet eyes traced the ball as it bounced off the right board, then the left, and then rolled slowly toward the hole at an angle. The ball slowed to the point that it was hard to tell if it was moving. It paused at the edge, seemed to waver, and then dropped into the little plastic cup. "Lucky."

Duo laughed freely, tilting his head back. When he regained his composure, he looked at Heero, surprised to see the other boy smiling back at him. He waited for it to disappear, staring at his dark-skinned partner. After several minutes, realizing that the smile was staying, his grin widened.

_I could have spent the day with you..._

They didn't make it back to the safe house until early evening. They walked in quietly; two exhausted boys that wanted to avoid the confrontation that they knew awaited them. They snuck down the hallway, glancing at each other slyly. Duo snickered, covering his mouth with his hands.

"Where have you two been?" They both whirled around, eyes wide as they watched Wufei approach them from the direction of the stairs.

"Hey, Wufei!" Duo grinned at him, straightening to his full height. He could feel Heero stand up beside him, retreating into his cold, emotionless mask. Duo ignored the chill that passed through his body as he glanced back briefly and met blank blue eyes. "What's happening, man?"

"You two have been gone for nearly twelve hours, without telling anyone that you were leaving, or where you were going."

"Sorry, Wu! We just got a little caught up in things, ya know?" He tried his best innocent expression, widening his eyes playfully at the Chinese pilot. 

"No, I don't know. As we are all partners, I naturally assume that we would keep our comrades from unnecessary worry and anxiety-"

"You were worried about us? Ah, man, that's so sweet. I love you, too, Wu!" Duo embraced the black-haired pilot, effectively shutting him up. He pulled back just as quickly and turned to Heero. He flashed the stoic one a wink. 

Wufei took a step back, mouth open in surprised suspicion. He snapped his jaw shut and glared at the braided one. "I will put that miserable contraption you call a truck out of commission if you do this again."

"Whatever, Wufei. It's nice to know you care. Now, if you'll excuse me, it's been a long day." Duo walked up the stares, yawning as he did so to make his point. Wufei turned black eyes to Heero and caught the other staring at Duo's back with a slight frown. He looked puzzled and thoughtful.

"What do you have to say for yourself, Yuy?" Blue eyes met black, and any emotions that had been on his face were erased.

"There was something that we had to do."  His voice was impassive, and he moved to walk past Wufei as well, but the other reached out a hand to stop him. For once, Wufei's face was soft and gentle.

"If you ever need help figuring it out, Heero, there are three others in this house that know." He didn't elaborate, and he didn't wait for a response. He left Heero standing in the hall as he went into the kitchen to cook dinner.

~~~~~_____~~~~~

Duo glared at his alarm clock, but crept from beneath the covers anyway. Only an insane, workaholic masochist would be up at four in the morning. And since Heero was awake, Duo figured that he might as well wake up, too.

He stumbled around in the dark, eyes closed. He stepped on something, and bit back his yelp of pain. If he made too much noise, he'd probably end up on the wrong side of Heero's gun. It had happened before, when the blue-eyed pilot had mistaken him for an intruder [3].

He paused in mid-step, standing still in the dark. After a moment, he went over his thoughts of the previous five minutes and shook his head at the feeling of déjà vu. "Man, if this is what happens to my mind, I've got to stop getting up this early."

Dressed, again except for his shoes and socks, he sat down on his bed, replaying the previous day through his mind. They had gone mini-putt-putting, and had arrived at the course at nine o-clock. That meant that they had spent at least three hours in the car there, and three hours on the way back. Since they had been absent for twelve hours, which meant that they had spent six hours hitting at golf balls and trying to out do each other.

He grinned, the darkness hiding the sad longing in his eyes. It had been a wonderful day. They hadn't really spoken, not about anything important, though Duo had chatted away most of the time. His talk had been about trivial things, nothing heavy. He hadn't wanted to ruin his chance of time with Heero by making them both uncomfortable and upset.

Six hours with a relaxed Heero, one that knew how to smile, however slight. He had been beautiful, glaring in confusion at a ball that refused to go where he wanted it. By the time they were done, they could make a hole in one at each hole, but the time leading up to that had been precious to Duo. He never wanted to forget it.

_My head upon your heart..._

He wandered downstairs, glancing at his watch as he stepped into the bathroom. Almost five o'clock. Heero would definitely be awake, and the others had at least two hours left. He brushed his teeth, redid his braid, and left, turning the light off as he did.

He stepped into the kitchen quietly, smiling gently when Heero looked up. He didn't greet him in his loud way, choosing instead to smile and nod. Heero raised an eyebrow, nodded back, and then continued typing on the laptop. He put water in the coffee maker, and leaned against the counter to wait for it to heat up.

"Have you had breakfast?" No answer. Instead of asking again, he set about making something for himself. He'd make enough that two could eat, but not too much extra, in case he was the only one eating. The blue eyes stayed glued to the monitor and the typing never slowed.

They worked separately, neither one speaking to the other. Duo pretended that the other boy didn't exist, and, glancing at Heero, decided that the other probably wasn't even aware that he was in the room still. 

The coffee pot beeped, and he poured the hot water into the top so that it would drip down into the empty pot. He took eggs and sausage out of the fridge, and placed them beside the stove. A spatula and pan followed, and then cooking oil. He turned back to glance at Heero, watching as the other concentrated on his work.

With a mental sigh, he turned back to cooking, pausing to pour the coffee when the pot was full. After a moment of thought, he found another empty mug, filled it with coffee, and placed it beside the laptop. He turned away as the tap-tap of the keys hesitated. Neither said anything.

It took him twenty minutes from the time he entered the kitchen to make coffee and breakfast. He pointedly took two sets of plates and forks, but he only filled one plate, taking half of the food from the pan, and leaving the rest covered. He sat down across from his partner, and dug into his food, chewing the food more through reflex than enjoyment.

His gaze drifted to the far wall, then to the line created when the ceiling and wall met. It was several minutes before he realized that the typing had stopped. He looked down, meeting a raised eyebrow over emotionless blue eyes.

"Who is the second plate for?"

Not completely lacking in emotion, he was happy to note. There was the slightest amount of confusion and uncertainty in the gaze that met his. "It belongs to whoever wants it. I made enough for two." They locked gazes for a few moments more, and then Heero nodded and stood up. He slid the rest of the food onto the extra plate and returned to his chair.

Duo had resumed eating and gazing, his eyes resting idly on a cobweb in the corner. He ignored the immense stare being sent his way, and forced down the shiver that tried to sneak up his spine. When he finally brought his gaze back to the table, both plates were empty, and Heero was hiding behind his screen again.

The braided boy grinned to himself, and then cleared the table. He refilled both coffee cups, and left Heero by himself so that he could take up residence in the front room. He switched on the light, and leaned into the corner of the couch farthest from the door, his hand reaching for a magazine lying on the surface of the end table. He flipped through it idly, humming under his breath.

He looked up with surprise when Heero sat on the other end of the couch and turned on its respective lamp. Blue eyes avoided his gaze as the wild-haired brunette sat down stiffly. He, too, took the closest magazine and began to read. Duo stared at him, unable to believe that he'd been sought out.

"I need your advice." His jaw dropped as the words made their way to his ear. "And I don't want any of your sarcasm."

"Okay." He nodded and set the magazine aside, turning his body so that he could give the other boy his full attention. "What's up?"

Heero looked up, his eyes bleak. Duo swallowed the gasp in his throat. "What is the greatest declaration of love?"

"Love? The greatest declaration of love?" Duo felt his body tense, and he ran an uncertain hand over his head, smoothing out non-existent horns. "What kind of love? Because, like, there's the love you have for a family, and then there's your friends, and then there's the other, and it's all kind of similar but really different at the same time."

"But you can tell me, right? I guess it would be the last one. I do not have family, and I know how I feel about my friends." He paused, the shutters covering his eyes as the mask covered his face. "It is the last that confuses me most."

"The greatest declaration of a romantic love?" He blew air through his teeth, puffing his cheeks as he thought.

_We could have spent the day, us two..._

"I have asked Wufei, and I have asked Quatre, and Trowa." Duo deflated a little at that. So, it wasn't his response that was wanted, just an overall view of things in general. He nodded, pushing down the hurt at the thought that he was once again being reminded that he was nothing special.

"I guess, then, that you got different answers?" Heero nodded. "It's different for different people. A lot of it depends on how strongly you feel for this person, and the likelihood that they return the feeling. Have you got that covered?"

"I don't need advice on how to tell if I like someone, or if they like me, Maxwell. I may be inexperienced, but I'm not some silly chit who doesn't know a grenade from a gun."

"Sorry, didn't mean to imply otherwise." He held up a hand defensively. "Okay. The greatest declaration of love. I'm assuming you mean to this other person?" He waited for a nod of confirmation, but the blue eyes simply bore into his, and he sighed. "Right."

"If you can't take this seriously, don't bother." Heero moved to stand up, and Duo glared at him.

"I can't help if I don't know exactly what you want!" He glared at the other pilot, daring him to turn his back on him. Heero sat back down, crossing his arms over his chest pensively. "The greatest declaration of love is different to different people. For Quatre, I bet his had something to do with music, and the interstellar connection of two souls."

Heero blinked, drawing his brows together. Duo smiled when he nodded, and then chuckled.

"I've already had this talk with him, once upon a time. Trowa is a little less sappy. Or maybe more for the simplicity. He wants someone to acknowledge that they knew he was human beneath the mask. And that's my theory, not anything he told me." 

Again, Heero nodded. His arms uncrossed, and he drew his legs onto the couch and against his chest. "He just wants to know that someone sees him as he is."

"Right." Duo nodded. "Wufei, he's complicated as always. He needs someone that can match him, both in physical strength and in mental endurance. His 'greatest declaration of love' to a woman would be admitting that she wasn't weak. In return, the best thing a woman could ever tell him is that she didn't need him for anything, but wanted him anyway."

He barely caught the ghost of a smile that graced Heero's lips before it disappeared again. "For you?"

"For me?" His smile gentled, and he looked down, unable to meet the intensity of his gaze when it was probing so deeply. "I want to know that I make my partner happy." He looked back up. "I would need that, the confirmation that I made the person I loved at least half as happy as he made me."

Heero frowned, but nodded in understanding. "And to the one you love?"

"There can be nothing more I could offer than the fact that I would love unconditionally. Through everything, no matter what had happened in the past, I will always be here." His voice was quiet, drawing his attention to the windows that were still dark from night. He didn't look back at his partner as he finished. "I wouldn't even ask for the same, I guess. Offer as much as you can and hold on while it lasts, but don't ask for more."

"It seems uneven." Violet eyes swung back to blue.

"It is, but you have to remember that I'm a giver, Heero. I give to you guys each and every day, with little get back, except from Quatre. It hasn't stopped me yet, and I'm not anywhere near being empty yet."

"You could do this for the rest of your life? Give parts of yourself with nothing in return?"

"No." Duo looked down. "Eventually, the pain of having nothing returned will overwhelm me, and I'll have to find something to alleviate that pain. Not right now, and not in the near future, but at some point in time. And when my searching is done, and I've been refilled, I'll be right back here, loving you guys each and every day."

Heero nodded as if in understanding, his eyes glued to the boy in front of him. "Would you show me?"

The braided one looked up sharply, frowning. "Show you what?"

"Relationships, all romantic relationships, are based on the same basic principles."

"Let me guess: Guy asks girl out, girl accepts loudly, they see a lame and boring romantic movie at which he falls asleep while holding her hand? He walks her home and gets a breath full of popcorn and sour candy while trying to kiss her? I think not. You're not asking me to start dating some girl and let you watch, are you?"

"No. It would have to be just the two of us." Duo nodded in understanding, then shook his head. Heero cut him off before he could ask. "I want you to pretend to go out with me, and show me how it is that one acts and behaves when in a relationship."

"That's what I was afraid of." Duo rubbed at his face, blocking his expression from Heero. He thought for a moment, thinking it through. "Fine, but I have to make a few things clear before we even start."

"I'm listening."

"I won't be doing this as a favor to you, Heero. A friend probably wouldn't normally accept, especially when some of the things I tell you are supposed to happen are going to have you pointing a gun at my head. I doubt that I would do this for any of the others, and I guess I just want you to know that."

Heero looked at him for a moment, that slight frown on his face. He didn't ask for elaboration, and Duo could only hope that he understood as he stood up and walked away.

_Waiting for life to start..._

Duo stretched a little more, leaning against the shelf for support as he stood on the very edge of his toes. "Just a little further...yes!" He pulled down the box from the top shelf of the closet and leaned back, grimacing as his muscles relaxed and protested. "Ow."

He backed into the hallway, and turned in surprise when he bumped into someone. "Hey, Duo."

Quatre smiled at him, turquoise eyes shining. "Hey, Q-man. What are you up to?"

"Nothing. I'm just ready to head down and see what Wufei's cooking for breakfast." He paused and looked over his shoulder. "Did he tell you?"

"Tell me what?" He leaned closer as the blonde's voice took on a conspiring level.

"He has a date with Sally tonight. She showed up yesterday, while you and Heero were gone. Since you weren't around, he had to get the door because I was helping Trowa. Anyway, she never bothered to even come into the house. She told Wufei that she would pick him up at seven o'clock, or his honor would be tarnished."

"Ouch. Man, I love that woman. I tell you what, Quatre, if anyone on earth can match Wufei, it's Sally."

"That's what I think, too. They're so cute together, even if he hasn't figured it out, yet."

"Speaking of which..." Duo trailed off, looking at Quatre pointedly. The blonde shook his head rather sadly and looked down the hallway. "Don't worry, Quatre. He'll come around. Look how far he's come."

"I know. He cares, I can feel it, but I think he wants to make the first move, and I can't seem to signal enough that I'm ready when he is."

"Give it time, Q-man." Duo hooked an arm around his shoulders and squeezed him close in a gentle hug as he led them down the hall. "And while you're waiting, you can help me this wonderful old box."

"What is it?" Quatre tried to peek around him, but he moved the box so that it was behind his back.

"You have to wait." He laughed. They descended the stairs, laughing and fighting over the box good-naturedly. At the bottom, they moved into the kitchen where everyone else was sitting, including Heero and the laptop. Duo placed his box proudly on the surface of the table and removed the lid.

Four eyes peered into the recesses of the box. Heero remained in his chair, but even he had stopped typing. Several seconds of silence ensued, in which four pair of eyes made their way to Duo and stared at him in some confusion.

Glancing up, he frowned. "It's the message on the bottom." They looked back down and Heero raised an eyebrow as they read. After a few minutes, Quatre looked up with a grin.

"That's sweet, Duo."

"Weak emotions." Wufei snorted and moved away to finish making breakfast. Trowa said nothing, but his glance strayed to Quatre for a second. Heero resumed typing. "Sentimentality."

"That's what I thought, too, Wu." Quatre giggled at his innocent tone. "I'm glad that you like it." The Chinese man snorted again, but his lips twitched as he broke eggs into a pan. Trowa sat down at the table. 

"What do you want for breakfast, Maxwell?"

"I've already eaten, Wu, but thanks."

"Funny, so has Heero." Violet eyes looked towards the laptop, surprised to see Heero looking at him. He smiled, and then moved to take the seat beside him. To his surprise, and the shock of the others, Heero turned the computer off and turned in his chair to put it on the counter and away from him. 

"You wanna see?" Duo held the box out to him, biting his bottom lip. Heero took the box and gazed into the bottom of it. After a few minutes, he handed it back.

"Hn." Violet eyes blinked for a moment, and then Duo looked away, the grin slipping. Heero looked at him for a moment, trying to think. His gaze met Quatre, and he read the words that the blonde boy was mouthing at him. "Who wrote it?"

Duo looked up quickly, eyes shining. "One of the nuns at the orphanage. I used to keep it in the cockpit of Deathscythe, but had to take it out for obvious reasons. At least working for the Preventors means that we don't have to leave at the drop of a dime and I can keep it in the house."

Blue eyes took in the words again, glancing at the fading ink on the bottom of the empty box. The whole of the interior was covered in crayon marks, like a small child had been asked to decorate it. In black, feminine scrawls, Heero could see the words that Duo had spent the morning trying to find. "How old were you?"

"At this time?" Duo frowned at the box, chewing his bottom lip thoughtfully. While he was thinking, Heero looked up to the approving looks that Quatre was sending him. Even Wufei was turned away from the stove with his eyebrow raised. "I was probably five or six. Maybe younger, maybe older."

"Hn." Duo looked back up, met his blank gaze for a moment, and then stood up with a smile. 

"I'll see you guys later. I'm going over to HQ to get a few things." He swished out of the room, leaving quickly and with little fuss. Three pair of eyes settled on Heero, who silently set up his laptop. The box lay ignored upon the table.

"So?"

"So, what?" He typed, his fingers flying furiously over the keypad. He kept silent as he finished the project he had been working on before Duo sat down. He knew that the others still watched, but he didn't know what they wanted or expected from him.

"If you hurt him, Heero, I'll beat you up personally." Quatre threatened, his blue-green eyes more sympathetic than threatening. A second later, the Arabian smiled. "Come on, ask us already!"

Heero raised a single eyebrow, but did not respond for several minutes. Finally, sighing under the intensity of their attention, he saved his file and looked up, his eyes serious. "What does one do in a relationship? Not dating, but once that part is done. When two are comfortable with each other?"

"Like, now that you've known Duo forever, how do you go about telling him without words that you want more?" Quatre asked happily. Heero looked at him, yanked the cord for the computer out of the wall, shutting it off effectively, and fled the room with a quick glare.

"Too much, Quatre." Trowa looked at him sympathetically. "Give him time. He's still coming to grips with it."

"Why does everyone require time?" Quatre stood up, his eyes blazing. "After everything we've been through, and all are training, we, more than anyone, should realize that there might not be time later. How can we give him something we can't guarantee? I am so tired of waiting for everyone else's schedules."

"Quatre." Wufei shook his head. "Don't push people. You may end up pushing them away before you push them to action." 

The blonde looked at him, and then sighed, dropping into his chair. He couldn't bring himself to look at either pilot again.

_I could have spent the day with you..._

Duo stepped back into the house two hours later, holding the small locket tightly in his fist. He would not lose it, no matter what. He'd stopped by headquarters, and sought out Sally. After explaining his mission, she'd smiled and taken off the only piece of jewelry she wore.

"You're welcome to it, for such a quest, Duo." She's said, her eyes smiling at him. They had talked for a while more, Duo congratulating her on her upcoming date with Wufei. Not a long visit by any means, but satisfactory to Duo.

Home again, he listened for the sound of voices, but came up with nothing. Quatre's car was gone, but he couldn't imagine every having a reason to leave together, despite the empty feel in the house. Then something rustled in the living room, and he smiled. They hadn't completely abandoned him.

"Honey, I'm home!" He chuckled at his own wit, covering his momentary unease with his normal cheerfulness.  He walked into the room, surprised to see Heero standing by the window and glaring at him. "Hey, Heero dearo [4], what's up?"

Blue eyes stared through him for several minutes, and he shifted uncomfortably, leaning against the frame of the walkway. 

"What's up?" The other looked away, eyes sliding around the room as if trying to hide. "Come on, Heero. Spill it. After yesterday and today, if you close me out now, I'm going to kick your ass."

"Let's go." Duo's head drew back at the anger in his tone. "What's the matter, Shinigami? Afraid?"

Duo raised an eyebrow, violet eyes narrowing. The boy in front of him was radiating anger, his whole body tense. After a moment of staring at him and thinking his actions through, he pushed himself away from the entrance and stalked toward him. At the last second, he lunged at him, flying into his body and knocking them both to the floor.

They rolled on the floor, swinging when they could get their arms free, kicking at each other, and trying in vain to pin the other to the floor with legs, arms, and bodies. Duo muttered curses the entire time, pulling insults out of his memory as they struggled. Several minutes after it had started, and with surprise on Heero's part, an extremely pissed off Duo pinned his arms at his side, and leaned over him, gripping his throat in one hand and resting his weight on the other with a hand beside his head.

"God damn it, Heero! What the hell is this?" He growled as Heero's expression shuttered. "Don't do that, Heero! Don't shut me out!" He sat up and shook the other boy by his shirt. "Please don't." He leaned forward, burying his face between Heero's neck and shoulder as he began to cry.

_And forever wouldn't be enough..._

"Jesus bloody Christ, Heero! I have tried so hard..." He broke off, gasping for breath as he leaned back, rubbing at his fast in a futile effort to stop the tears that cascaded from his eyes. "I have tried so hard. I've tried to be your friend, and goodness knows that I've tried to show you how to live. But it doesn't seem to matter. You always push me back."

He slid himself backwards off the other boy, moving down his legs to sit at his feet. Heero sat up uncertainly, blue eyes glued to the braided one.

"I have tried to give you back what was taken...all I ever wanted was to see you happy. I know they can't have taken it from you completely, damn it! You're still human on the inside. I can see it some days, and it makes my heart break, because the moment you realize it, you push it away."

"What do you want from me?" It wasn't accusing, more of a hesitant curiosity.

"I want you to laugh. I want you to **_feel_**. I want you to know joy and happiness, and all those basic human emotions that should exist without thinking. I want you to let go! Let go of the pain, and the anger. Like this! Beat the shit out of me, but let me know that you're still in there!"

"You want this?" Heero waved a hand, gesturing to the broken lamp that had fallen of the end table, and the overturned couch.

"Yes. Because this shows me something, Heero. This is anger, this is an emotion that you couldn't control." The tears were drying, and violet eyes were flashing, shining in an attempt to make him understand. "You're not dead, Heero. You're very much alive, and this confirms it. The other day, when we were mini-golfing, or whatever, you were fighting a smile, and doing a terrible job of it. You felt, and it made me so happy that I was there to see it."

He lapsed into silence, watching Heero assimilate this. He brushed his hair out of his face, frowning when he realized that most of his braid had come undone. While the boy in front of him thought in silence, he redid his braid, working his fingers through the long strands carefully. 

"God, Heero. I have tried so hard to be what I could be to you. You let me be your friend, and that was great, and I worked at it every day, and I tried. Then, today, you come out with that damn question, and all I could think was that maybe, just maybe I'd gotten through enough for you to open up to me. Of course, then you tell me that you've already asked the others, too, and I'm nothing special."

He looked away, shoulders slumping as he said it. Heero caught the look, and the strange undertone on the last word. "Why does it matter if you're special to me?"

Duo looked at him, and then groaned in frustration, falling onto his back on the floor. "Because, Heero. Because if something is special to you, it makes you happy, and if you're happy, I'm happy. Even better if you're happy because I'm happy because you're happy."

"Hn." Instead of standing up, Heero got to his knees and scooted a little closer to the braided boy on the floor. "You want to make me happy?"

"Yes." The violet eyes were closed, covering up their color and any emotions they might have showed. "Your happiness is important to me."

Heero settled down next to him, letting his legs stretch out so that he was lying next to him, his head propped on his hand and elevated by his elbow on the floor. "Even though I frustrate you? And anger you? And fight with you? And close you out?"

He listed the words quietly. Duo inhaled deeply, crossing his hands behind his head. "Of course. It doesn't matter what you say or do, Heero, I'm not going to walk off and give up."

"Because that's your declaration." Duo sat up quickly, searching blue eyes for any trace of mockery or teasing. The other boy was serious, frowning at him in concentration, and not in disapproval. "Lack of experience does not equal lack of knowledge."

"I'm sorry, Heero." Duo drew his knees to his chest, and turned his face away. "I'm still your friend, first. Everything else comes after. I just want you to know that."

"You will continue to show me?"

"Yes. If that's what you want." He nodded, and Heero stood up, looking down at his friend.

"The mission has been altered, but the same basic orders are the same." Duo paused for a moment, and then looked up, chuckling.

"I should have known that you'd approach this whole thing the same way you approach everything else.

_Could have asked to be with you true…_

"Come one, Heero. You're supposed to make this easy for me." Duo growled into the other's ear with frustration. In response, Heero turned around and stepped out of the doorway, letting Duo access to his bedroom. "Thank you, much better. Now why don't you go downstairs and let me have free rein?"

"No." Duo grinned, ignoring the warning look in his eyes. He scanned the bedroom quickly, hoping that something would catch his attention and start screaming 'me, me' to his brain. Nothing did. He stood in the middle of the room, scanning every available surface, frowning a little when realized that that consisted of only a bed and a desk. 

"You need more furniture in here. Want a bookcase? There's one in the attic. It's only three shelves, but we could fill it really easy."

"You are not decorating my room." Heero crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall by the door. Five minutes before, and they had been downstairs trailing into an uncomfortable silence after. Duo hadn't wasted anytime in using his 'mission' to his advantage. "Just pick something, and let's go."

"But, Heero! This is my one and only opportunity to be in your room without you pulling a gun on me." Duo grinned, pulling his braid over his shoulder so that he could play with it while he teased the other. "And besides, why would you want to go back downstairs when you have me all to yourself right here?"

"Baka." Despite the insult, his eyes softened, and Duo swallowed as he realized what he had walked into. When the brunette started walking towards him, he backed up a step, holding his hands up defensively. "Where are you going, Duo?" His voice had dropped an octave and gone husky. The sound sent a tingle down Duo's back, making him shiver in anticipation.

"Heero." He tried to make his voice stern. "Stop playing around. I want one item from you that has some personal value, and I'm going to have it." The back of his legs hit the bed-frame and he swallowed.

"Oh, yes, you are." Violet eyes widened before Heero pushed him onto the twin bed. Before the braided boy could get up or scoot away, Heero had laid atop him, pinning his body beneath his. "Is this acceptable, oh teacher?" Eyes half-lidded, Duo wisely kept his mouth shut and nodded. Had he tried to talk at that moment, the only sound escaping his throat would have been a moan. "Pleasurable?"

"Bastard." Heero chuckled, the sound vibrating through his ribcage and into Duo's body. "You know, Heero." He forced the words out, trying to ignore the press and pleasure of the body over his. "You aren't supposed to tease the one you're dating."  
  


"But it's so much fun." He drew out the 'so' bringing his face close enough to Duo's so that his breath fanned his chin and neck. Another shiver ran up the braided boy's body, but this time he couldn't suppress it. "Besides that, I'm enjoying this position." He pressed his lips gently against the pulse beating in his neck. "It makes me happy. You make me happy."

"Don't fuck with me, Heero." Duo's voice was surprisingly hard, and Heero drew up to look at him with a frown. "I want you, and I love you, but I'll be damned if I'm going to let you use me. I told you that I would help, but it's not helping either one of us if you mess with my head." He swallowed, his eyes clouding over with sadness, replacing the anger with a bittersweet gentleness. "You know how I feel, and it's not fair if you use that to hurt me."

Heero leaned back down, resting his body on top of Duo's instead of pinning the other boy. He pressed his cheek against the American's skin, inhaling his scent, and concentrating on the warmth that spread through him at the contact. "I'm not trying to use you, Duo. I don't want to hurt you. I just don't know…" He trailed off and moved away, striding across the room in a desperate hurry. "Find what you want. Tell the others that I won't be back in time for dinner."

He left, leaving Duo on the bed, body crying out at the loss of contact, his heart aching for the confusion and hurt he'd seen on Heero's face. "God, love. Will you ever open your eyes?"

_And taught you the meaning of love…_

"Duo? Are you okay?" Turquoise eyes peered across the table, jarring the brunette from his thoughts. He glanced around at his friends, noticing for the first time that they were all staring at him. "You've barely said anything, and you've only eaten part of your dinner."

"It's been a long day, guys." He tried to grin, but ended up with a half-formed smile. "While you're all here, I was wondering if I could ask you all for a favor."

"Go ahead." Quatre agreed before the other two could say anything. Wufei raised an eyebrow, waiting for the request, and Trowa continued to eat, though he kept his gaze trained on Duo.

"I want to know if I could possible have one personal belonging of yours, something small, that has personal value. I'm making a time capsule to bury in the back yard. Everything will go in my box, which is my personal thing, and it will go in a metal tube that I conned Lady Une into letting me have." He looked at each of them in turn. "It will have something from each one of us, and…" He glanced slyly at Wufei. "Something from Sally. Because she's almost like one of us." 

Wufei snorted, but didn't argue. Quatre grinned, already thinking in his head for something to give. Trowa returned to his food, but Duo knew that he was thinking it over. Green eyes looked up. "Have you asked Heero?" He swallowed, looking down at his plate. He should have expected one of them to ask, but he hadn't expected it to be Trowa.

"Yes. He wanted to give me a bullet, but I told him no. When I have everything, I'm going to right a letter explaining the significance of each thing and who it came from." He smiled at them, a real one this time.

~~~~~_____~~~~~

Duo stared at the door, begging it with his eyes to open. The wall in the hallway held up his tired frame, but he refused to go to sleep until a certain blue-eyed pilot made it back in one piece. He didn't know where Heero had gone, but he hadn't expected him to be gone for almost seven hours. Wufei looked up in the other room and glared at him. Quatre was straightening his tie and smiling as the Chinese man seemed to growl at everything. 

"If that damn woman shows up, tell her I'll be ready in a moment. Until then, would you come back in here for sanity's sake! He had something to do, and he'll be back. You haven't driven him forever, and he hasn't gotten into some horrible wreck that's left him dying some painful death in the middle of nowhere."

"I forgot the first rule of any relationship, Wufei. Partner, friend, boyfriend…I forgot to trust him." Violet eyes turned back to the door, and he stood straight when he realized that the knob was turning. The door opened, and his eyes came into contact with a familiar shape outlined by darkness. He waited for the door to shut behind Heero before he said anything. "I'm sorry."

Blue eyes blinked at him in confusion, as Heero approached him. He glanced into the living room, and then looked back at Duo, gesturing him into the kitchen with a wave of his hand. "For what?"

"For what I said this afternoon. I know you wouldn't do something like that, and I'm sorry that I accused you of doing it." He shrugged self-consciously, smiling a little in relief when the other didn't seem to harbor any ill will. "I thought that you were really mad at me, and each hour that you were gone just seemed to make me feel worse."

"You can anger me, and annoy me, and frustrate me, Duo, but nothing will make me leave you forever." He pulled his laptop out of somewhere [5] and sat down at the table, effectively cutting off his end of the conversation. Duo wasn't going to let it slide, and sat down next to him, scooting his chair closer so that he could lean his arm on the table and stare at the other boy. "And you can stare all you want, but I'm not going to walk away from you."

"Really?" Duo batted his eyelashes at him.

"Really." They sat that way, ignoring the doorbell when it rang, and Wufei's half-angry words as he greeted his date for the evening. Quatre peered into the kitchen and announced that he and Trowa had something to do, and Duo waved them away without glancing up. The blonde smiled at his companion as they made there way out the door, but didn't comment until they were in the car and underway. "I found my item, by the way."

It took a moment for that to register. "Really? What?" Duo perked up even more, grinning as he waited for Heero to hand over the prize. "When did you decide?"

Instead of moving to retrieve it right away, Heero finished what he was doing, and shut the computer down slowly. "You said it had to be something that reminded us of something special, or something that we'd had for a really long time. My gun was the first thing that came to mind, and there is no way that I'm handing it over to you."

"Ah, jeez, Heero, I would have been nice to it. I'm only going to have it buried for the next hundred years."

"Anyway." Heero went on, moving the computer away so that he could turn to Duo without any objects obstructing his view. "I thought about it, and remembered something that reminded me of the happiest day of my life. I was with a person who made me happy, and who cared about my happiness. Someone who's happiness I cared about." Blue eyes met purple, and he held out his hand hesitantly. Duo took the hint and reached out with his hand, twining their fingers together. With Heero's other hand, he reached into his coat pocket and wrapped his fingers around the object inside. 

He pulled his hand out and held the object up for Duo's expression. The violet eyes widened in confusion, and then in surprise, before they filled with tears. He threw himself out of his chair, and at Heero, pressing his lips against his as the little white golf ball, with the thin purple stripe, rolled into a corner of the kitchen, forgotten.

[1] It's spring, or autumn, so the sun rises late and sets early. It just makes things easier as far as timeline goes.

[2] You have a better name?

[3] Sound familiar? Déjà vu? Look at the first couple paragraphs at the beginning.

[4] I couldn't resist.

[5] Maybe he brought it down after breakfast, while the others were away. Sounds good to me.

The complete poem, written by Jennifer S. Norris, is as follows:

_I could have spent the day with you_

_Held you in my arms_

_I could have done a million things with you_

_Held you captive with my charms_

_I could have spent the day with you_

_My head upon your heart_

_We could have spent the day, us two_

_Waiting for life to start_

_I could have spent the day with you_

_And forever wouldn't be enough_

_Could have asked to be with you true_

_And taught you the meaning of love_

Permission to use poem or story can be obtained by writing to raegan_1@hotmail.com


	2. Could have spent the night with you

Author: Rae

Title: Could have spent the night with you

Note: Not intended to be part of the original story, but I felt that I was challenged, and so I had to rise to the bait. Not enough action? I guess that's not a really bad thing, depending on how you look at it, but I was in a gruff mood when I started this, and I decided that I'd finish it for a laugh. It is a continuation, though not necessary to the original plot line. A bit more 3+4/4+3 and 1x2/2x1, cuz they're cute!

AC 196

_To spend the night with you…_

"So?"

"So?"

"Come on!" Duo flopped down on the bed with exasperation, closing his eyes as he flailed his arms dramatically. "Spill it, Quatre! What did you two do while you were gone tonight?" 

It was midnight, and while a certain blonde wanted nothing more than to lay down and go to sleep, his braided best friend had become a tireless bundle of nerves in the past several hours, and he was stuck with the consequences. He had heard Heero lock the violet-eyed boy out of his room, and the other two had simply glared at him until he left them alone. Quatre couldn't find it in himself to be that mean, and so he was stuck.

"Did you make out? Start going out? Get take out? Come one, Quatre. Tell me all the gory, wonderful, dirty little details." Blue eyes met violet, and the blonde couldn't help but smile. 

"He called me 'little one' a lot, and we went to the university. The Drama Club was putting on a presentation of 'Les Miserables', and I had to go [1]." He took off his vest, and hung it carefully in the closet. Duo was staring at the ceiling, blowing frustrated noised through his teeth.

"Man, you see less action than I do, and that's just pathetic." Quatre shook his head as he took his shirt off and folded it carefully before putting it in the hamper. "You really should just jump him, Cat. It would move everything along a lot faster."

"Duo." They both looked up in surprise to see Heero standing in the doorway. Quatre smiled self-consciously, already reaching into an open drawer for his pajamas. "Can we talk?"

Duo jumped up from the bed, happy to be wanted. Especially by Heero [2]. "Of course. We'll talk tomorrow, Q-man." He grinned as he followed the other boy out like a besotted puppy. Quatre shut the door behind them, smiling to himself. Duo waited until they were in Heero's room with the door shut before trying to talk to him. "What's up? Miss me already? Can't stand to be without me?"

They had spent the three hours they had alone together working on separate projects. After Heero's seeming declaration of affection, Duo had been content to sit by and play second fiddle to the laptop, while reading a book that he'd gotten from Wufei's room. "I have more questions."

He sat down at the desk, and gestured for Duo to take a seat on the bed. His face was expressionless, and Duo frowned, trying to figure out what could be so serious that it would erase any sign of the progress he'd made in the last few days. "Of course. Don't hesitate to ask." He sat with his legs crossed on the bed, and his hands folded in his lap. "What's up?"

"Sex." Heero spoke the one word with a mixture of confusion and determination. Duo blinked at him, frowned a little deeper, blinked again, and then fell back onto the bed with a groan.

"Please tell me that you're kidding?" He didn't wait for a response. "Of course not. Yuy Heero doesn't joke." He covered his eyes with his arms, blocking out the light and a vision of a confused Heero.

"You don't know?"

"Don't know anything? I'm insulted." Duo sat up on his elbows. "I know quite a bit. Putting that knowledge into practical use, however, could prove to be difficult." Blue eyes looked into violet, and Duo grinned slightly. "I talk big, but I've never actually tried anything. I know what's supposed to happen, but that's about it."

"Will you have sex with me?"

"How come I knew that that question was going to pop up?" He let his body drop back to the bed, unfolding his legs so that they dangled over the side. "No, Heero. I won't have sex with you."

"Hn."

There was a long moment of silence as he debated how to explain. "I love you, and I know that you care for me, but it's not the same. Sex is something that should be shared between two people whom are in a committed relationship. It shouldn't be taken lightly, and it shouldn't be something that's convenient."

"Explain to me the basic steps to having sex."

"You don't ask for a lot, do you?" Duo asked sarcastically. "Fine. You have a penis, I have an anus. You oil both, and stick it in. 'Kay?"

"Hn."

"You asked for the basics. There is more to it, depending on how pleasant you want the experience to be. I've known some sick fucks in this life that wanted it as painful as possible. You bypass the oil, and ram it in. It's bloody, and you won't be able to sit for a while, but that's it."

"How do you make it…pleasant?" Duo could tell without opening his eyes that Heero was frowning in confusion.

"Foreplay, oil, and a gradual widening of the uke's sphincter. Anything else?" He was trying, really he was, to make it sound as coarse and dirty as he could, but his body wasn't hearing it. He was turned on, and the loose material of his pants did little to hide his growing problem.

"Would you rather be on top, or bottom?" Duo swallowed, his body tensing as he realized without opening his eyes that Heero was closer. Close enough to send heat waves through his body. There was a slight shifting on the bed, and he felt the first feather-light touch brushing the skin on his arm.

"I get a choice?" He opened his eyes, meeting that intense blue gaze with something akin to weariness. "I said no, love."

"Hn." Heero brought his hand down to twine his fingers with Duo's. His face softened, his lips curving in a small smile that stole Duo's breath. "You are…pleasing."

"That's very romantic, love." Duo grinned, leaning up to brush his lips lightly against Heero's. He pushed the other to his back, gently taking over as he leaned over him. "Let me try. You're…delightful."

"Beautiful." Heero's voice was quiet, and Duo rewarded his compliment with another kiss. 

"Desirable."

"Enchanting." Another kiss, and he stretched out over him, covering one lean body with another. Heero brought a hand up, and cupped the side of his face gently, the other hand going to his hip. "Commitment: the act of engaging or committing ones self; a pledge or a promise."

"Faithfulness and affection. I know that you have the ability to promise me both, but it's another matter to actually put those things to offer, love." He placed a kiss on his jaw. "I pledge everything I have to you, everything that I am."

He trailed kisses down his neck, reaching to pull his shirt from his pants. The Japanese pilot had gotten dressed to run his errand, and hadn't bothered to dress down. Duo took his chance to run his hands up Heero's chest, warm palms against a warm chest. Heero laid under him on the mattress, eyes half-lidded, his lips curved in pleasure. He opened his eyes completely when Duo moved back up to place a chaste kiss on his cheek.

"But I can't ask for the same from you, and I can't give more than my soul until you can offer it." He slid down his body, resolutely breaking contact so that he could think clearly to himself. "It's rather feminine, I know, to promise my virginity, but it's one of the few things I've always been able to keep, and I can't give it away without something more in return."

He turned and walked away, ignoring his own frustration and the fact that he was leaving them both dissatisfied. Heero watched from the bed, his hand gently covering his cheek as the door shut behind Duo.

_Is a gift I could not ask for…_

His alarm clock never had a chance. At three fifty-eight, something tickled his nose. He ignored it, and turned over, never bothering to open his eyes. The moon was returning to the horizon, but was still a proficient source of light to the invader in Duo's room. When the mattress tilted slightly, he frowned in his sleep, but didn't wake up.

Three fifty-nine, and the intruder was slowly uncovering him, untucking the blanket from around his body and sliding the covers toward the foot of the bed. He grumbled, and reached for them instinctively. When the alarm clock turned over again, and showed four o'clock, the intruder grinned, knowing that he'd already taken care of that little problem. Warm lips pressed against Duo's shoulder, left bare. The braided boy only slept in sweatpants; a fact that the intruder was taking advantage of as he gently touched the skin that was being cooled by the night air.

Duo shivered, drawing his legs up and his arms to his chest instinctively. The intruder frowned, realizing that his actions weren't heading the way that he'd planned. He lay down quickly, molding his front to Duo's back, wrapping an arm around his waist and drawing his slender body back against him. The sleeping body made a small sound of pleasure, his head lolling back as lips moved to caress his neck. Three minutes after four.

A hand pressed against his chest, lightly brushing one nipple as two bodies pressed close together, the erection of one pushed into the back of the other. Duo groaned.

His eyes blinked open, and he stared groggily at the alarm clock. It was six after four in the morning, he was alone in bed, and the covers were tucked securely under his arms. He groaned again, this time in frustration, and slumped back against his bed, feeling the effect of his abstinence from the night before in the aching throb in his pants. It was definitely a problem that he'd have to take care of, and soon.

~~~~~_____~~~~~

"Are you smiling?" Duo looked at the other, askance, eyes widening as he noticed the telltale twitch to Heero's mouth. "You would. Some weird dreams interrupt my sleep, and I'd wager that you slept soundlessly."

"Yes, thank you." Violet eyes blinked. An actual sentence from Heero at twelve to five in the morning was enough to make him worry about his sanity. Or Heero's. 

The braided boy sat down slowly, slipping into the chair across from his recently showered boyfriend. Or lover, or other, or whatever stereotypical jargon that normally applied to two people who agreed that they made each other happy. He rested his elbow on the surface of the table, his chin on his palm. "What are you so cheerful about this morning?" There was no answer, and no other sound other than the typing of the wonderful, infernal laptop. "Heero? Care to acknowledge my presence here, love? I still exist."

Blue eyes peered over the thin screen, burning him with an intensity that sent heat through his body. "I'm very aware that you exist, baka." They stared at each other for a moment, the mask over Heero's face, the only indication of his feelings the spark in his eye.  Duo raised an eyebrow, trying to think of some smart, witty comment. The corner of Heero's mouth twitched again, then curved upwards into a smile as he tilted his head. "You need a shower."

Duo frowned but stood up, making his way to the door. He stopped at the entranceway, and turned around with an offended expression. "Is that your way of telling me that I stink?"

He had already returned to his work. "Shower."

"Yes, sir." Duo made a sassy salute, and bounded for the stairs, taking the steps two at a time. He went into the bathroom, and turned on the water, already humming under his breath. Barely five in the morning, and he and his…Heero had already had a conversation. It was enough to help him extend his shower for over an hour, enjoying the warmth of the shower, and a skillful hand.

~~~~~_____~~~~~

"What is taking that idiot so long?" Wufei tapped noisily on the counter top, his fingers keeping an irritated rhythm as he glared at the ceiling over his head. The sound of running water could be heard, had been heard for the last forty-five minutes. The Chinese man was starting to get very annoyed by this break up in his morning schedule. Upon waking at five, he went to the bathroom, brushed his teeth, and took a shower. "There won't be any hot water left."

Black eyes looked at the boy behind the laptop, seeing the satisfied smirk on his face, and the smug look in his eyes. He narrowed his own gaze, knowing that Heero was somehow at the root of his problem. However, Trowa chose that moment to walk in, eliminating his chance to question the Perfect Soldier in private. "What is Duo doing?"

"He's signing his death warrant." Wufei grabbed his mug of coffee, and swallowed part of it down, eyes raking over his two fellow pilots. Green eyes looked from him to Heero, noticing the expression on one and the tension in the other. 

"Heero, it may be best if you go and save him. I wouldn't wish to see the alternative." Heero said nothing, but a moment later, the laptop was stowed on the counter and he was out of the room, his footsteps creaking on the stairs. Trowa look at Wufei. "How was your date?"

Wufei rolled his eyes, snorted, and drank the rest of his coffee. His eyes were sparkling, and when he set the mug down, he was fighting with a smile.

~~~~~_____~~~~~

Quatre was staring at the door to the bathroom, a puzzled frown on his face. He looked up when Heero walked down the hallway, noticing the odd expression on his face. "He was singing, and then he stopped. I thought I heard something, and then he started singing again. What is he doing, Heero?"

"You don't want me to answer that." Heero tried the knob and found it locked. He knelt in front of the door, and took a lock pick set from someplace [3]. Turquoise eyes blinked, then widened in sudden realization as the blonde scurried away, his cheeks flaming bright red and a choking sound escaping his throat. Heero quirked an eyebrow at him, but didn't stop in his work on the door. Some things could wait until another thing was dealt with.

_For to ask for you to love me…_

Duo grinned happily up at the showerhead, his face pelted by lukewarm water. He didn't hear the door open and shut, nor did he hear the lock slip back in place. He was concentrating to intently on the gentle pounding of the shower, and a hand around his hard penis. Visions and fantasies of Heero had kept his hand in a steady motion, bringing him again and again to the brink before he stopped and gained control of himself.

Something clicked on the tile floor, and he cocked his head, listening. The door was locked, so something had either dropped, or…

He opened the shower curtain quickly, ignoring the spray that wet the floor and his own nakedness. "What the hell are you doing?" Blue eyes blinked at him innocently, and he had to fight with a smile at seeing Heero in the middle of undressing. "I didn't realize that this bath was a party for two."

"Wufei is ready to kill you."

"Really? Doesn't surprise me, I guess. He's normally pretty cranky in the morning. They sent you up to get me out?"

"Hn." Efficient hands pushed down boxers to join the pants on the floor, leaving both boys naked and hard. 

"Did you tell them you were _up_ for the job?" Duo leaned back against the wall and grinned, forgetting everything but the vision in front of him. "God, you're _hot_!"

~~~~~~_____~~~~~

"I don't want to know, I don't want to know, I don't want to know." Quatre muttered under his breath as he flipped through the channels on the TV. He had avoided the two in the kitchen and moved into a room where he wouldn't be able to hear the activities in the bathroom through the ceiling. If he were lucky, they would stay in there, and not go into Duo's room, which was located just over his head. He could hope.

"What's the matter, Quatre?" Trowa sat down beside the blonde, handing him a mug of coffee and frowning in concern.

"I just passed Heero upstairs. I think Wufei's going to have to wait a good long while before he gets the bathroom."

~~~~~_____~~~~~

"You're not supposed to be in here, love." Duo's smile was gentle and wistful. Heero ignored him as he stripped off the rest of his clothes to stand naked in the middle of the bathroom. "You're beautiful, do you know that?" He stood still as the Japanese man stepped inside the stall, pulling the curtain shut behind him. It effectively cut off some of the light, leaving them in partial shadows. They didn't touch in the small space, maintaining the bare inches between them.

Heero leaned forward, placing his hands on either side of Duo's head. "I don't want to fuck you."

"Mm?" Duo was having a hard time formulating coherent speech, despite the distance still between them. His gaze was slowly moving up and down the body before him, watching as the water began to run in rivulets from his waist down, beads occasionally hitting his chest.

"I don't want sex."

"Are you sure?" Duo didn't know whether to be confused or disappointed. The decision was taken from him when Heero pressed against him, first putting chest to chest, and then following with the rest of his body. "Oh, god."

Warm lips pressed against his neck, dotting small kisses to his ear. "I want to join with you." He moved his body, rubbing his erection against Duo's. "I want to know what it feels like to be one with you." One hand smoothed across his chest, brushing water droplets down, his hand settling on one slim hip, the fingers curling gently into flesh. "I want to know you."

Duo held his breath for a moment, his mind trying to think before he finally gave up the battle and threw his arms around Heero. He kissed his shoulder hungrily, bringing one leg up to curl it behind Heero, pressing their bodies even closer together. "I love you." His words were a breathless promise as he tried to meld their bodies together.

Eventually, their mouths found each other, mouths open to let tongues explore. Heero ran his hands down to cup Duo's ass, pulling him tighter, closer. They both moaned at the contact, and Duo gripped the other by his hair, taking over the invasion of mouths as he played his tongue in Heero's. It took him several minutes before he realized that Heero was pulling back, putting distance between their bodies shortly before he put distance between their mouths.

They both panted for breath, looking at each other through eyes clouded with desire. Duo smiled slowly, his hands loosening their hold in his hair. He cupped Heero's face. "I love you." He placed a gentle kiss to his lips, and pulled back. "Thank you." If Heero hadn't stopped, Duo wouldn't have, and they both knew it.

"It's my turn to shower." Duo stepped around him with a laugh. 

"I see. If this is the tactic you use everyday to have the bathroom to yourself, I'm going to have to remember to get in here first." He missed the smile that played on Heero's lips as he stepped out of the shower, grabbed his towel, and then headed for his room, not bothering to cover himself as he dripped water on the floor.

"Maxwell!" His laughter could be heard as he left a stunned Wufei in the hallway gaping at him while he shut the door.

_Is like asking money from the poor…_

His leg ached. He wanted nothing more than to get up and stretch, but that would blow his cover. A muscle in his right arm kept twitching, but he couldn't reach up to rub it. The day had gone from bad to heaven to hell in a matter of hours. His body was protesting his abstinence, and his heart ached to be home, while his mind was busily calculating his chances of getting into the bathroom and back without alerting the target that he was there.

He rolled his eyes with the realization that he wasn't going anywhere for a good long time. He wanted to curse Sally for her horrible timing, or blame the others for having other things to do. It would figure that he would get the most boring assignment on a day when he felt that Heero was warming up to him. Speaking of which…

He and Relena should have been arriving at anytime. He waited a couple seconds more, and then spotted it, the pink limo making it's way down the drive. The car topped feet from his hiding place, and he settled a little more comfortably, glad that he now had something of interest to watch. The driver stepped out and opened the door. Heero stepped out first, wearing black slacks and a blue dress shirt that fit him nicely.

Duo hummed under his breath, his eyes softening. He watched as Heero turned to help Relena out of the car. The woman seemed to stumble, and he caught her, resulting in her leaning against his chest and looking up at him adoringly. Duo rolled his eyes again, wanting to stride up to her and beat her head into the pavement as soon as he was done ravishing her date. 

The couple made their way to the host and congratulated him on a wonderful lawn party. Such a prestigious event for the elite of the colonies and earth. It would figure that Quatre had said that he wouldn't be attending shortly before it was announced the man might have shady dealings. Then Duo could have coerced Heero to stay home. Not that they would have done anything if they had stayed, of course, but it was always nice to dream.

Relena took Heero's arm and started dragging him around from person to person, showing him off like a trophy. Duo's gut twisted as he watched politicians and millionaires scrutinize the boy before offering Heero a fake smile, turning their noses up just the slightest. Not enough to be a definite snub, but enough to let anyone around know that they were dealing with someone of a lower class. Even Relena's possessive grip did nothing to soften them toward the wild-haired brunette. 

For his part, Heero simply stood by quietly, his own face impassive, his body language showing a quiet pride. It made Duo's heart ache, and his fists clench. He wanted to run out and hurt them all. Rub their faces into the dirt and let them know what their snobbery could do. When they were all sniveling on the ground, he'd take Heero and run away with him, take him someplace where idiots with money and power didn't rule.

"Maybe that place isn't so far away." He smiled softly to himself, head tilted to the side as he watched and plotted.

~~~~~_____~~~~~

By nine o'clock that night, Duo's body was tense, his nerves were frayed, and he was certain he had a bladder problem from holding it in for six hours. Six hours! It shouldn't have been humanly possible, but of course, he wasn't really human. He was half Gundam pilot, and half Shinigami. He could withstand anything.

"I'm so tired." Quatre brushed his hair back. "My feet hurt, and my legs ache, and I can't feel my toes." The braided one whined loudly, making the blonde smile. "What are you doing here?"

"Trowa's going to pick me up in twenty minutes, and take me out for a surprise. He told me to tell you that we'd be back tomorrow. Tomorrow! That means that we're going to be together tonight." He practically squealed with excitement. "That means that you and Heero have the place to yourselves as soon as he gets back. Wufei's away until Monday."

Duo smiled. "Good to know." A knock sounded on the front door, and Duo sat up on the catch, moving his legs to the ground so that he could stand up. "It looks like your date is here." Quatre smiled, nearly running to the door. When it was open, Trowa stood on the porch, his face it's usual stoic mask, his hands behind his back. He was wearing brown slacks and a green shirt, bringing out the color in his visible eye.

"Ready, Quatre?" The tall one's voice was quiet, his eyes sparlking as he looked down on the shorter blonde. 

"Yeah." They stared at each other for several more seconds until Duo pushed at Quatre. 

"I'll see you guys later. Treat him well, Trowa. Quatre, have fun." He shut the door in their faces, not that they seemed to mind, so enraptured with each other as they were. "Finally. Time to get ready."

"Get ready for what?" Duo jumped, his eyes swinging to the kitchen doorway where Heero was leaning against the wall.

"Ready for you, handsome. I was hoping to have some time before you got back, but I'll live." He smiled, starting forward. "I was watching you today, at the party, and I thought some things through."

"Really?" His voice was emotionless, but Duo could read the curiosity in his eyes.

"Yeah. Come up stairs, Heero. Please." He held his hand out, waiting to see if he would understand. A second later, a trusting hand was placed in his.

~~~~~_____~~~~~

[1] 'Les Mis' is a wonderful piece, for anyone that enjoys the theatre. Beautiful and heartbreaking. Although, personally, I think that 'The Phantom of the Opera' is the best play ever written.

[2] Admit it, everyone wants the braided baka, but not everyone can have him J.

[3] Refer to the first part, 'I could have spent the day with you'. Things magically appear and disappear. Do not question the author.

End note: And despite what it sounds like, the ending that I have in mind for is non-lemony. However, you can read whatever into it you want, and if I'm convinced enough, I may add a third part (LEMON) in which they take things farther (SCREW LIKE BUNNIES).


	3. Will you respect me in the morning

Author's note: This is a continuation (obviously) of Could have spent the day with you. Is it a lemon? Will Duo and Heero 'get some' tonight? Weeellllllll…that'd be telling, wouldn't it?

Title: Will you respect me in the morning?

_If I let my guard down…_

Duo lead Heero upstairs, walking backward up the steps so that he could look at and talk to the other boy. "You know I love you, Heero. That much I think I've made rather obvious. And I was hoping, since you seemed so…I don't know…vulnerable? No, not that. Nothing quite like that. You just seemed to have opened up to me, and I guess that I was hoping that if I pushed the right buttons, you'd suddenly fall on your knees and declare your undying love for me."

Heero smiled slightly at that. They had reached the landing, and were heading down the hall toward Heero's room. Duo spoke on.

"But I kind of didn't think that this is _you_ we're talking about, and you probably won't ever be the type of guy for flowery speeches and all that stuff, and I realized that none of that stuff is really what I want, because if it was, I wouldn't love you." Duo walked into the door and winced, then reached down with his free hand and turned the knob. The same hand flicked out to turn on the lights, and he pulled Heero into the bedroom. "And see, it's definitely not debatable that I love you, so something in the whole part of my thinking had to go. And it wasn't going to be you."

He let go of Heero's hand and shut the door, turning around and leaning against it as Heero turned to face him.

"So, then I did some more thinking, and a lot of soul-searching, and I discovered a few things. That led to more thinking, and let me tell you something. Being silent for long periods of time is detrimental to my health. I had such a headache when I got home from that infernal garden party, not to mention the fact that I hadn't gone to the bathroom for hours and holding it for that long could probably kill a person…What was I saying?"

His confusion pulled another smile from Heero, and the blue-eyed pilot walked closer, raising a hand to gently touch Duo's cheek, running his thumb along his bottom lip. "You discovered a few things and did some more thinking."

"Right." Duo nodded, his eyes closing halfway as he leaned his face into Heero's touch. His voice softened as a smile curved his lips once again. "What I came up with is this: I won't have sex with you, Heero, and I think that I'll eventually regret that decision, but that leaves a lot of things that we can do."

"Hn?" Heero was leaning closer, his eyes darkening to a midnight blue as he slowing, almost reverently, pressed his lips to Duo's

They kissed, their lips meshing together. Heero opened his mouth in invitation, which Duo accepted. His tongue lapped gently at Heero's lips before delving inside his mouth. He caressed the inside of his cheeks before running his tongue along Heero's, tasting him, feeling him, drowning in him. The braided boy groaned as he pulled back. "I wasn't done."

Heero stepped back and away, his body turned so that his back was partially to Duo as he walked to his desk and pulled out his chair. Mysteriously, his laptop was gone. He turned around to find Duo smiling at him sheepishly. 

"It's downstairs. I didn't want you to be able to ignore me until I was done." Heero nodded once, turning in his chair to face Duo, his head tilted to the side as he waited. "When I say that there are other things, I don't mean hanky-panky, and all those dirty, lovely little sex games, because I might not be able to stop once I got started. While that may not be a bad thing, that just leads back to a place where I don't want…where I can't go with you right now. See?"

Heero nodded, but his eyebrows were drawn down in confusion. Duo sighed, smiling and shaking his head.

"I want to sleep with you. I mean really _sleep_ with you. I want to lie in your arms at night, or hold you tight, or both, and I never want to have to let go. I want your heart to be the last thing I hear before I fall asleep, and the first thing I hear when I wake up, and I want to know in my dreams that I'm in the closest thing to heaven on earth: your arms. Eventually, I probably won't be able to resist, and I'll ravish you anyway, but for now, I want to do it this way."

He waited, his eyes hopeful as he waited for Heero to agree or reject his idea. It was a big step, something that went farther than sex, intimacy-wise. You could have sex without ever really letting your guard down, but to trust another person to be so close in slumber…that spoke of a trust that went beyond bed-partners. For Duo, it was somewhat of a compromise. He couldn't have everything he wanted, so he'd settle for having something relatively close. And being allowed to have Heero that close would be a gift beyond anything else that the  braided pilot had ever received, rivaling even his Gundam.

"In here?"

"Here, or in my room. Both, if you want, though it would get rather confusing switching beds every night. Think about it this way, Heero. What could be better than waking up to me every morning?" He teased gently, his eyes trained on Heero, waiting for the slightest reaction. As much as he knew about the pilot, there were times when Heero could shut him out completely, leaving him with no indication of where he stood.

Heero stood up, and went to his dresser. He pulled a pair of sweatpants from one of the drawers and walked to the door. "ETI is two minutes."  He opened the door and left, leaving Duo gaping at him for a moment. When the message sank in, Duo ran out the door to his own room, disrobing quickly and redressing in his pajamas. Expected time of impact: less that two minutes.

_Would you think less of me…_

Duo was waiting in the bed when Heero came back in. The braided boy took the chance to openly ogle his…Heero, his arm propped on the bed and holding him in a semi-leaning position. His hip was planted squarely against the mattress, but the top half of his body was being held up by his arm. Heero walked unselfconsciously, as if it was everyday that he went around half-dressed in front of Duo. [1]

He turned the light out after shutting the door, and made his way to the bed. Duo sensed him stop beside it and hesitate, uncertain as to what came next. Duo reached a hand out in the darkness, toward the spot where he could almost 'feel' Heero standing. He came into contact with warm skin, and let his palm rest against the other's body. He had found Heero's stomach with his questing hand. He moved his fingers up, found a shoulder, and then brought them back down again, searching for and finding his hand. He tugged gently.

"Come to bed, Heero." The pilot complied, moving carefully in the dark. He lied down on the blanket, his hand still firmly entrenched in Duo's. He held his body stiff, waiting and listening in the dark for Duo to tell him what to do next. "Scoot towards the middle more." He felt Duo shift away from him, and he moved his body to follow, until Duo's body stopped his. He could move no more. "Now relax, love."

Duo curved into his side, their bare skin touching and rubbing together as Duo laid half on top of him, one arm around his waist. He closed his eyes, and brought his arm around tentatively, holding Duo to his side. He felt more than heard the braided pilot purr with pleasure as Duo took the opening and wrapped his arm tighter around Heero's waist, his left leg situating itself between Heero's, his foot rubbing against Heero's shin. 

"Just remember not to wake up and kill me in the morning, okay?"

~~~~~_____~~~~~

_If I couldn't stop my self…_

Heero's senses kicked into overdrive as he heard something shuffle nearby. His left arm was pinned to the bed, but his right was lying free at his side. He brought right hand up and below his head, reaching under the pillow for his gun. He stiffened instinctively when he couldn't find it. His eyes opened into slits, but he couldn't see anything due to the darkness of the room. He heard breathing near his head, and knew that whoever was close was also either asleep or faking sleep. He shifted slightly, ready to kill to defend himself if the person laying on him made the wrong move. 

He moved slowly, gently pushing back on the weight that held him down. There was a leg wrapped around his, and he gently nudged it with his right foot, trying to move it, too. He had almost succeeded in getting free of the body it shifted ever so slightly. He stilled for an instant, and then winced as the person began to snore. Loudly. He hesitated for a moment, then relaxed into the bed with a grunt and a sigh. Duo snuggled closer, wrapping arm and leg back around Heero, as if claiming his territory even in sleep. 

A trembling hand started to reach for Duo's hair when Heero realized that he was shaking. He swallowed hard, realizing that his entire body was reacting now that the danger had passed. He could feel his heart and breathing rates had accelerated, and the adrenaline that might have kept him alive if there had a been a danger now coursed through his veins, demanding some kind of action. "Duo?"

The braided boy shifted in his sleep, but didn't wake. Heero sighed again, closing his eyes in the dark. 

"Duo? Can you move, please?" In answer, Duo rolled over, his arm looping around a pillow as a replacement to Heero's body. For a moment, Heero felt slightly disappointed that he could be replaced so easily, but a quick look at Duo's face revealed a small, dissatisfied frown, and he felt a little better. He got out of bed quietly, and made his way across the room to the door, and then into the hallway, and finally the bathroom. He didn't turn on the light as he shut the door, and moved to the shower stall. He turned on the water, set the temperature, and then disrobed in the dark. He stepped under the cool spray, the water soothing on his heated flesh. 

How quickly his fear that someone had trapped him had changed to being aroused by Duo.  He placed his left hand against the wall as he ran the other through his hair. In the darkness of the bathroom, he could have been anywhere, doing anything….with anyone. He pictured Duo before him, hair hanging wet over his shoulder as it had days before in the shower, violet eyes sparkling with life, and mischief and love. One pale hand would reach out and gently place itself over Heero's heart, simply to hear the beating beneath his skin.

Heero groaned, his right hand reaching from his hand to glide wetly over his chest, and then lower, until his fingers could wrap around his penis. He gripped himself lightly, his touch causing his breath to hitch. He squeezed a little tighter, imagining Duo's hand over his, the long, slender fingers holding him so lovingly, so gentle. He began stroking in a slow but steady rhythm, the sound of his faster breathing melding with the sound of the shower. The fingers of the hand on the wall curled in, forming a fist as he lost himself to his masturbation and his fantasies.

It wasn't long before he came, his release marked by nothing more than a grunt and the expulsion of his semen. He stood under the spray until the water turned frigid.

_From loving you…_

Lying beside Duo as the clock on the desk marked the nearing hour of four a.m., his hair still wet from the shower, and his body now ready for sleep, Heero's hand crept to Duo's chest, where it stopped over the rhythm of his heart. In the darkness, he felt the beat, until it almost became a sound in his head. Duo turned on his side, so that they were face to face, and threw an arm over Heero's side. Heero relaxed when he started snoring again, the sound now muffled in Heero's chest.

Heero smiled, his arm going around Duo to hold him close. Duo's words came back to him, as he listened to the steady breathing of the boy who loved him.

I pledge everything I have to you, everything that I am. But I can't ask for the same from you, and I can't give more than my soul until you can offer it. 

"I love you."

[1] We'll skip over the fact that he did, since you can't really count spandex and a tank top as clothes.

End note: Well, that wasn't quite….what I had planned. Oh, well. The best laid plans, and all that jazz. Anyway, this looks like the wonderfully sappy and happy conclusion, so this could very well be it. Or…well…if I feel motivated…there could be a full-on lemon. No promises, though. 


End file.
